I don't want her to think I'm just pumping her for information about Alex, so I take my coffee cup to the sink. "Thanks for the muffin. It hit the spot."
She finally lifts her gaze to mine, and the smile on her face lights up her eyes. "That's what I'm here for. If you need anything, just let me know."
I walk back down the hall and peek into Alex's office. He's on the phone but waves me in. I walk over, and he pulls me onto his lap. He slides his hand under my top and lightly grazes my skin with his fingers, leaving a million goose bumps in the wake.
He pulls the phone away from his ear enough for me to hear a male voice on the other end. Alex rolls his eyes and quietly whispers, "Sorry."
I kiss him on the cheek and point toward the library. He nods, and I head to my new sanctuary. There is something inside me that wants to believe that all the gestures, simple and grand, are how Alex expresses wanting me around for the long term. He is in unchartered waters and experiencing things he has never chanced before. But he's not shying away from it. In fact, he seems comfortable exploring a relationship with me.
My heart has been through too much pain and betrayal. I'm happy to see where things go with Alex, but I'm also going to be cautious. No man will catch me off guard again.
I pick up my favorite classic, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, from the table where I left it. I curl up on the chaise and reengage with an old friend until my eyes get heavy.
Between the nightmare, the confession, and the sex, I'm exhausted and drift off to sleep.
Lips press against mine and pull me from my slumber. I open my eyes, Alex brushing the hair from my face and gazing at me. I cannot take my eyes off him, and my heart flutters at his soft touch.
"Promise me you'll always wake me up this way," I whisper.
"Only if you promise you will always look at me this way when I do."
We stare at each other, and there is something in his deep blue eyes that excites and calms me. Just when I resolve to be on guard and cautious, Alex says something that brings hope to my heart and makes me believe in everything he says.
He clears his throat and smiles boyishly. "Lunch is ready, baby."
Snaking his arm around my waist, he pulls me closer, and kisses the side of my head. We walk arm-in-arm to the kitchen. Simple gestures, but the impact staggers me. This feels so normal...as if we've been dating for months or years. And it feels so right.
Alex pulls out my chair. "Be right back." He disappears through a door in the family room.
Maggie slides a plate onto the placemat in front of me. "I hope you like chicken salad." She smiles, and her hazel eyes twinkle.
My mouth waters at the sight of big chunks of chicken mixed in with celery, pecans, and grapes all piled onto a fresh croissant. "I love it. It's my favorite."
"Well, that makes it easy. It's Mr. Stone's favorite, as well."
Alex returns with a bottle of white wine and two glasses. He fills one half full and hands it to me. Strong citrusy talons hit my nose before the wine spreads over my taste buds. It's cool, light, and refreshing.
I glance at Alex. "What is this?"
He swirls the wine in his glass, and the motion of the liquid mesmerizes me.
"It's a chardonnay from Argentina. I found it during a business trip."
"It's wonderful." I take another sip.
"You're wonderful," he murmurs, and winks at me.
My heart does a wild little flip in my chest.
"It's a perfect white wine for summer and complements Maggie's world-class chicken salad." He glances over his shoulder and smiles at the woman standing in the kitchen. The look on his face is pure adoration, and I wonder if she has some other connection beyond running the household.
Jake and Thomas come into the kitchen and sit on the high stools along the breakfast bar. Maggie places plates of food in front of them, and the three engage in a whispered conversation as they eat lunch.
Alex and I are in a debate over which James Bond movie is the best, and the insane criteria we've come up with sends us into fits of howling laughter. The three outsiders to the conversation gape at us, as if they've never seen two people laugh. Or maybe Alex doesn't laugh very often. It's a shame because he has a warm smile and infectious laugh, and I can't help but fall under his spell.
Chapter Fifteen
After lunch, we walk hand in hand along the periphery of the vast expanse of perfectly manicured grass. The lush thickness is too inviting to pass up, and I slip off my flip-flops and allow my feet to be engulfed in the luxurious green. Alex is explaining the extensive renovations to the landscaping.
Two large boulders sit atop a bluff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, flat on top, nature's own park bench. Alex walks past them to the edge of the steep drop and points out the small stretch of sandy beach below.
"How do you get anything done working from home?" I ask, the water washing against the sand hypnotizing me. "I would spend all my time going back and forth between the pool and the ocean with a run tucked in at some point during the day."
"Feel free," Alex says.
"No swimsuit." I put my hands up and shrug.
"No problem. I encourage nude swimming and sunbathing." His gaze slides over to mine.
"Perfect. I'm not sure Maggie will appreciate it, but I'll bet Jake and Thomas will enjoy the show."
A thin white line replaces his full, kissable lips. "Perhaps not."
"Why, Mr. Stone, your eyes are suddenly a stunning shade of green."
"Miss Tate, I've seen you naked. It is a glorious sight to behold, for sure, but not one I'm willing to share." He wraps his arms around me tightly and draws me in for a seductive kiss that makes my toes curl in the sun-warmed grass. "No one else gets to see that but me."
"I'm good with that," I murmur, lost in his kiss.
Being here with Alex, at his home, provides me with so much more than a sense of security. Caring, deep concern, a man who wants me in a way that I have never experienced with another man. It's not the violent, dark obsession I lived through with John.
With Alex, I feel desirable, beautiful, and respected. I gaze at him, but his eyes are locked on something in the distance, and he's a million miles away. I want so badly to crawl into his head, know what he's thinking. Do his thoughts mirror mine?
The fear and pain John evokes in me has to stop. I can no longer live in constant terror. "I came to a decision earlier today," I say, and draw his attention back to me.
He narrows his eyes slightly, but waits for me to explain.
"I have to tell Jack about everything that's happened with John. I should've done it a long time ago, I know, but nothing will improve until I let someone at the firm know what he's doing to me."
"What about his threats to ruin your reputation in the legal community and get you fired?" Alex asks.
"I can't let it cloud my judgment any longer, and it might be inevitable at this point. He wants me back, if for no other reason than to beat the hell out of me for his own sadistic pleasure. He knows I'm with you, that I'm staying with you, and that you're protecting me. That has to be frustrating the hell out of him because he can't get to me."
I glance out at the sea. The sun creates sparkles on the water, and they dance with the waves. Everything about this place seems simple, and I'm seeing things clearly for the first time in a long time.
"It's more a matter of beating him to the punch. If he introduces his own twisted narrative of what happened, anything I say will look like I'm trying to drag his name through the mud to cover my own sins."
I sit on one of the boulders and look up at Alex. "I think Jack will back me. He's been my mentor and the closest thing I've had to a father. I trust he'll support me and refuse to believe the shit that is about to be flung. He's the reason I have the corner office on the top floor. No one else believed in me or wanted me there, not even John."
Alex scratches his hand over his face and lets out a deep sigh. "I think you're right. Jack can protect your career. He
's highly respected up and down the East Coast, and he's a force to be reckoned with when pushed to the limit." He sits next to me and places his hand on my knee. "And John is getting more desperate. I'm just not sure we can discount the physical threat of violence from him yet. I don't think he has the ability to back down. He sees this as a loss, and it's a major blow to his ego."
I don't want to think about what John might attempt next. Punishment is his new intent, and after what I experienced under the guise of his love, I know I will never survive retribution at his hands.
"I'm done with checking myself in the mirror to see the extent of damage he's inflicted on me. My sanity and safety are more important than my job." I shudder at the thought of not being able to practice law. It's such a huge part of me. I love it, live it. It's as important to me as breathing. "Plus, you can never underestimate the power of crossed fingers, prayer, and incantations of, 'Please make him disappear.'" I cross my fingers.
A smile finally breaks through the stoic veneer on Alex's face.
He grasps my hand between both of his and squeezes it. I soak up his strength, allow it to refuel me, comfort me, and engulf me in his protection. It scares me to need him so much. If Alex turns away from me, even at this early stage in our relationship, I’ll slip into the depths of darkness. I'll be lost. And that terrifies me more than any of John's beatings.
We walk back to the house, arm in arm, and Alex points out a trail that runs the perimeter of the property. The dirt path starts at the house, meanders through trees along two sides of the estate, and splits at the bluff. One path leads to the beach while the other traverses the rocky edge above. It eventually loops back around to the house.
"Can I go for a run?" I can't remember the last time I ran.
"Of course. I want you to feel like this is your home. And it's probably safer than running along the street." He gives me a sideways glance and a lopsided grin. "You never know what type of riffraff will be broken down on the side of the road."
I shake my head and laugh. "Dangerous millionaires with crap cars."
"Billionaire, baby."
I roll my eyes, and he chuckles, apparently getting the reaction he was looking for.
We stop outside a set of double doors, and Alex enters a code into a numbered keypad. We walk into a large airy room with fluorescent lighting. Mirrors run the length of one wall and reflect hanging bags that line the opposite wall. Along the back are free weights, benches, and the latest fitness machines.
I point to corner closest to the windows. "You have a boxing ring?"
"Mixed Martial Arts," Alex says. "Ever done it?"
"No. I took a self-defense class after...John. We did some takedowns and stuff, but nothing hardcore."
"Do you still take it? The self-defense class?" Alex entwines his fingers with mine.
"No. The class was held at some high school gym and lasted two Saturdays."
"Two whole Saturdays, huh?" An amused grin crosses his face.
I turn and face him and am lost in the laugh lines around his mouth. "Not whole Saturdays. Four hours each day."
"Wow. Eight hours total? Do you think that's enough?"
"Do you want me to poke you in the eye?"
He raises his eyebrows.
"You know, the classic self-defense moves—poke the eye, stomp the foot, go for the groin?"
"And how many of those did you employ when John came after you the other night? Or at the gala?"
I grimace and look away. "Not one."
"My point is not to admonish or embarrass you, Kylie. Two four-hour courses will not teach you what you need to know to stay safe. It has to be instinctive. You execute it automatically because that's what you've been trained to do. Get it?"
"I get it. I think it was less about actually learning self-defense and more about feeling like I could walk outside again without having a panic attack." I search his eyes for an indication that he understands how mentally and emotionally fragile I was at that time in my life.
His eyes soften, but the hard lines of tension remain, as if he's reliving a memory—and not a pleasant one. I have no idea if it's a recent memory or from his past.
He lifts my hand to his lips and kisses it. "Want to try MMA? We could train together."
"Sure, but you're going to have to sign a waiver first," I say. "I don't want to be sued if I mess up that handsome face while sparring."
Alex grabs me around the waist, and our midsections crash together. Electric sparks shoot through me, a hunger for his skin on mine growing with each breath I take.
"I'm sure we can negotiate an agreement, Miss Tate. I promise not to sue you if you promise to let me take any award I might receive from a lawsuit in trade—in my bed."
I reach around him and grab his firm ass. "Well, Mr. Stone, you drive a hard bargain." I pull him closer. "A very hard bargain."
His erection pushes into my thigh.
He grasps the back of my head and his lips move feverishly on mine, suddenly desperate. I gasp and part my lips, welcoming his tongue deep inside my mouth. The taste of wine is still on his tongue, mixing with his unique taste. It is a taste I am becoming addicted to.
I dig my fingers into his back and rake from his strong shoulders to the sexy dip of his tailbone. He is beautiful, and for the moment, all mine.
He moves his lips along my jaw and down the side of my neck. He's slow, hitting every sensitive spot and nearly driving me insane with desire. I want him, in any way I could have him.
Just under my ear, he whispers, low and sexy, "I want you, Kylie."
I'm lost in the intense pleasure of the moment. My brain is in a dense fog, aware only of Alex's lips on my neck, his hand on my back as it works its way around to my breast. I moan when he cups it and squeezes my nipple between his fingers.
My leg vibrates, and it takes me a second to realize Alex's cell phone is buzzing in his front pocket. He reaches into his pocket and checks the caller ID.
"Damn," he mutters and looks at me, his eyes apologetic. "I have to take this. It's the call I've been waiting on all day."
I nod. His eyes lock onto mine, and I swim in the amazing blue that no ocean could compete with. It's better than lying on a float with a drink in hand, soaking up the sun. They suck me in, and I am all too happy to be lost in them forever.
"Kylie?" he calls to me, and I'm pulled out of serenity. "I have to take this in my office."
Outside of his study, he lightly kisses my forehead before he walks in and closes the door. I sigh, wander into the library, and flop onto the chaise.
So much for my post-lunch sexual workout with the highly talented Mr. Stone.
Chapter Sixteen
I wander back into the kitchen, not sure of what to do with myself. I open the refrigerator and grab a bottle of water.
The house is uncomfortably quiet. I have no idea where Maggie is, or if she's still here. How long does she work? Is she here every day? And where are Jake and Thomas?
I take a plum from a bowl of fruit on the island in the center of the kitchen and wonder how long Alex will be on his business call. How much time does it take to buy dilapidated property, decide whether to renovate or level a building, and turn it into highly sought after luxury apartments or fashionable strip malls?
I know how long it takes to prepare for a trial, and taking a day off at this late stage is dangerous. My first-degree murder trial is coming up fast, and I really need to get some work done. I wish I had my Jeep so I can run into the office and pick up some files.
Jake walks into the kitchen and refills his coffee cup, which looks permanently stained. I'm pretty sure Alex won't be happy with me going anywhere near my office, but maybe he'll be okay if Jake takes me.
Jake eyes me suspiciously. "What?"
"I need to go to my office."
Redness burns his cheeks and spreads to his neck.
"Just to pick up some files, so I can work from here." I hate having to ask permission like I'm a child.
He still doesn't look happy about this, but that's too bad. I stayed here today, but I never agreed to abandon all my responsibilities.
"I'm ready. I'll call my assistant on the way there and have her get together everything I need."
The drive into town is quiet. It ended up being harder to convince Alex to let me go to the office than I thought it would be, even with Jake and Thomas as my personal security detail. Following a series of deep cleansing breaths to resist the urge to remind him I didn't actually need his permission to go anywhere, I finally persuaded him that all the attorneys will be gone this late on a Friday afternoon in the summer.
A little more of my independence slips away, but in the end, it's not a big enough issue to fight over.
Ryan's voice rings in my ears. "Pick your battles, Kylie."
Loud cheers greet us as the elevator doors open. Everyone from the top floor, as well as, some people from elsewhere in the building are packed into the conference room. I spot Lisa standing just inside the door and tell Jake I'll meet him in my office. He looks into the conference room, nods, and walks down the hall with Thomas close behind like a dutiful puppy.
Dread passes through me the closer I get to the conference room. Something screams at me to get the files and go. But I push down the urge and step next to Lisa.
"Hey, Kylie," she whispers.
I quickly scan the room for John, but I don't see him, and I can relax a bit. "What's going on?"
"Bob Shaw's case finally settled. Big bucks for the firm, yet they still buys crap champagne." She holds up her plastic flute filled with pink bubbly.
I laugh. "This case has been lingering since I started here. I never actually believed it would ever be resolved."
"I know, right?"
There are times I wish I weren’t Lisa's boss. I think we'd be good friends.
Across the room, Jack lifts his glass. "Grab a glass of the bubbly and help me salute Bob."
Of Demons & Stones: A Tri-Stone Trilogy Page 12